Automatic railway gate and signal.



PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. JJL. JOHNSON & J. L. McCOLLUM.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE AND SIGNAL. APPLIGA'TION FILED MAR.Z2,1904.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT. OFFICE.

JESSE L. JOHNSON AND JOAB L. MoOOLLUM, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE AND SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed March 22, 1904. Serial No. 199,400-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JEssE L. JOHNSON and JoAB L. MOCOLLUM, of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton, State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway Gates and- Signals; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

, This invention relates to improvements in apparatus such as is adapted, primarily, for use in connection with railways to indicate the approach of a train toward a particular point, the particular type of apparatus adapted for illustration being a railway gate such as is used at a road-crossing to either bar the passage of pedestrians or teams onto or across the tracks or to indicate to them that it would be dangerous to cross.

The invention consists, primarily, in a gate or signal which constantly tends to move into danger position with an electrically-operated catch for maintaining it in its safety position, such catch being adapted to be operated by the approaching train at a point more or less distant from the gate, and a mechanically-operated restoring mechanism or motor adapted to be operated by the train when passing the crossing to return the signal or gate to its safety position.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described, and ointed out particularly in the appended c aims.

Referring to the accompanying drawin s, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a section of a track with a crossing-gate and appliances connected therewith embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing in detail, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the gate with its supporting-posts and operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a View of the part shown in Fig. 2 looking toward the left in said Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are details of a portion of the main operating wheel or segment. Fig. 6 is a detail top plan of the contact-rail shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail of the electrically-operated catch or look.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same arts.

In said drawings the etter A indicates.

the rails of a railway-traclgand B averticallyswinging gate, which may be pivo'tally mounted between posts C and be of any ordinary or preferred type, either such as will bar the passage of pedestrians or teams across the track or simply operate as a warningsignal-; but it is preferably a barrier and provided with a spring-hinge f, which will permit the end of the gate to swing away from the track in order that pedestrians or teams caught on the track by the lowering of the gate may find a ready exit by pushing the gate to one side. The posts C may be of ordinary construction planted in the ground to a su'flicient depth to support the workin parts of the apparatus, and they prefera' 1y extend somewhat above the pivot of the gate, so as 'to support a crane c, between which and the shorter arm of the gate a flexible connection D, havin a spring D interposed therein, is arrange said spring D serving to inaugurate the closing movement of the gate, although said gate is usually counterbalanced so as to close slowly without the application of any external power. The spring D as soon as the movement is inaugurated becomes slack and does not tend to force the gate down at an undue speed.

Journaled between the posts C is an operating segment or wheel E, connected with the shorter arm of the gate through a flexible connection F, embodying a spring F, and to insure the movement of the wheel or segment without retarding the gate or signal a second spring connection G is provided between said wheel and one of the posts, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The wheel is provided near its eriphery with a series of teeth or transverse y-extending projections H,

' which may, if desired, be in the form of spring-catches adapted to cooperate with a latch b of an ordinary electrically-operated look 1, preferably mounted on oneof the posts C near the top of the controlling-wheel, and whereby said wheel and gate will be held with the latter open or in elevated position until the electrically-operated lock releases the Wheel and permits the gate to close. For operating the lock a contact-rail K is provided in proximity to one of the track-rails A at a suitable distance from the crossing, and an electric circuit L, including a battery, extends from the electrically-operated block to contacts 76, adapted to be brought together by the depression of the contact-rail K whenever the wheels of a train pass over the same. The contact-rail K is preferably sup orted by a relatively heavy spring K, an in addition its end toward the gate or signal is preferably curved away from the track-rail, as shown in Fig. 6, in order that a train passing in a direction away from the gate will move the contact rail transversely, and thus pass without completing the electrical circuit. To return the contact-rail to its normal position, a transversely-arranged spring K is preferably pro- .vided, and the bolt which holds this spring in place may pass through a slot in the contact-rail, as shown at K in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a train moving toward the gate will establish the circuit and release the operating wheel and gate, permitting the latter to automatically close, and in order to a ain raise the gate automatically a mechanica operating mechanism is preferably provided which will be set in motion by the wheels of the train after the latter has reached the crossing, such operating mechanism being preferably so arranged that the gate will be entirely restored to its open position by the time the train has passed away from the crossing, thereby leaving the crossingclear for the passage of pedestrians orvehicles. The operating mechanism or motor referred to preferably consists of a bell-crank lever M, pivotally mounted in a suitable support in proximity to the post C and carrying at its upper end a pawl m, adapted to cooperate with the ratchet wheel or segment E on the side of the wheel E, said pawl m being normally withdrawn far enough to be out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel and is supported by a projection or stop m on the pawl, resting against the bell-crank lever M. The pawl moves into engagement with the teeth immediately after a forward movement of the upper end of the bell-crank lever has commenced, as shown in Fig. 1, and advances the wheel one step, where it is held by the catch b. The bell-crank lever is operated or oscillated in order to elevate the gate through a connection with a shoe lying in proximity to one of the track rails and adapted to be depressed by each wheel of the train in succession as the latter passes over the shoe. The mechanism described is a step-by-step mechanismi. 6., a mechanism which is moved a short distance or one step by each wheel and is held against recoil or retrograde movement between each im-: pulse or operation. Obviously many arrangements for accomplishing this end will suggest themselves; but the simple one illustrated in the drawings will probably be found as efficient as any. In said drawings a shaft N is journaled on one of the cross-ties, one end of said shaft being formed into an upwardlycurved crank arm or shoe N, adapted to lie in proximity to one of the rails and to normally project slightly above said rails, so as to be depressed by the car-wheels. A second arm N 2 on said shaft N rests in a bearing on the horizontally-extending arm M of the bellcrank lever, and consequently when the shoe N is depressed the arm M of the bellcrank lever will be elevated and the pawl m caused to engage and rotate the operatingwheel E a distance equal to the throw of the bell-crank lever. The movement may be equal to the distance between one or more teeth, as desired, and the teeth on the wheel E and catch projections H on the wheel E are so arranged that when the wheel is rotated by the bell-crank lever it will be caught and held by the electrically-operated lock I. Thus a succession of wheels passing over the shoe N will rotate the operatingwheel E a sufficient distance to completely open the gate, further movement of the wheel E being prevented by confining the teeth on the wheel E to that portion of its periphery necessary to move the gate only the required distance, and consequently when the gate is entirely open further oscillations of the bell-crank lever will cause the pawl to work on a plane surface of the wheel, and the latter will receive no further move ment. A heavy coil-spring O is preferably provided under the shoe N to hold the same elevated, and a keeper 0, resting over the end of said shoe, limits its upward movement.

. The bell-crank lever M and pawl m may be spring-pressed, springs 0 and 0, respectively, being shown for this purpose. The movement of the wheel E in a direction to close the gate may be limited by a stop projection E on the wheel, which cooperates with a pin E on one of the posts, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

In 0 eration a train approaching the crossing will establish the circuit through the electric lock I and release the operating-wheel E and gate. The latter will immediately descend into closed position, where it will remain until the train reaches the crossing, when the wheels of the train running over the shoe N will oscillate the bell-crank lever and inaugurate the opening movement of the gate. The number of teeth in the ratchet E should only be sufficient to insure the complete opening of the gate by the passa e of even a short train, and it will be particu arly observed that by the interposition of the spring or yielding connection between the operating mechanism or motor. and gate the violent or sudden movements imparted to said operating mechanism by the wheels of the train will be transmitted to the gate without shock and will not tend to break the gate itself nor destroy the operating connections. The parts directly moved by the wheels of the train may be light and their inertia and momentum correspondingly reduced, although the gate itself may be of considerable Weight and have an inertia which could not be readily overcome by the quick passage of the wheels over the operating-shoe.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus such as described, in combination with the movable member constituting a gate or. signal and counterbalanced so as to normally tend to move toward danger position, of a step-by-step operating mechanism for restoring said member to its safety position, an elastic connection between said member and its step-by-step operating mechanism and a driving connection for said operating mechanism extending into position to cooperate with successive parts of a moving vehicle; substantially as described,

2. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the movable member constituting a gate-or signal and counterbalanced so as to tend to move into danger position, of

an electrically-operated lock for holding said member in its safetyposition, a mechanicallyoperated step-by-step mechanism for returning said member to its safety position, an elastic connection between said mechanically-operated step-by-step mechanism and movable member, an electric circuit with means whereby said circuit will be established by a moving vehicle to release the lock, and means whereby successive parts of the moving vehicle will operate the step-by-step mechanism for restoring the movable member to its safety position; substantially as described.

3. The combination with the track-rails, the vertically-swingin gate counterbalanced so as to normally ten to move to closed po sition, a mechanical motor mechanism step by step operated by the successive wheels of a train on the track-rails, when in proximity to the gate, an elastic connection between said step-by-step motor mechanism and gate for opening the gate, and a lock forming a part of the step-by-step motor mechanism for holding the gate open, with means whereby said lock is released by the train before reaching the gate; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a verticallyswinging railway gate counterbalanced to normally move to closed position, of a motor mechanism for opening the gate embodying a wheel connected with the gate, a catch and a series of projections on said wheel cooperating with the catch, a ratchet-wheel, an oscillatory lever carrying a pawl adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-wheel, connections whereby the lever is oscillated by the passing train andmeans whereby the gate is released by a train approaching the gate; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a verticallyswinging railway-gate, of a motor mechanism for said gate embodying a wheel having a series of projections, an electrically-operated catch cooperating with said projections, a ratchet-wheel, an oscillatory lever carrying a pawl for cooperation with the ratchetwheel, a shoe lying in proximity to the trackrail, connections between said shoe and lever and an electric circuit including said catch and adapted to be closed by a train approaching the gate; substantially as described.

JESSE L. JOHNSON. JOAB L. MoCOLLUM.

Witnesses:

F. G. STovER, H. D. MoDANIEL. 

